In Chinese medicine, the Metal element is aligned with the energy of Autumn. In order to better understand this concept, visualize a majestic snow-capped mountain, itself composed of minerals of all kinds. Its base is wide and firmly rooted to the earth and at the same time it reaches upward with authority and might towards the heavens.

Keep in mind this metaphor of the mountain as you realize that Metal:

gives us our sense of quality and value

offers us an avenue for looking at the majesty that lies beyond ourselves

extends to us the power to let go as it returns to us our essence

represents a paternal energy.

Our inner attributes of the Metal element give us a sense of self-worth.

Metal reflects back to us our core issues, the most refined aspect of ourselves. Even if we don't have a particular affinity for Metal, we are all called to deal with our core issues during Metal/Fall.

People with an affinity for Metal tend to to be drawn to beauty. They enjoy symmetry and find inspiration in purity.

Metal types inevitably learn the importance of becoming less opinionated, accepting change, and letting go of the past. Metal types tend to dwell on the past if they are unaware so they need to be attentive to the action of letting go.

In TCM, the emotion of grief is associated with Metal. The challenge is to express grief and then let it go otherwise it can fester into persistent negativity and abject sadness.

There is often an acute awareness of time passing and growing old in the Fall. Know that this is part of the energy of the season. Just let those thoughts go without dwelling on them.

In Fall, the Metal element is at its peak and particularly responsive to treatment. At this time of year, if we are out of Metal balance either physically, mentally or spiritually, the season's energies are very much supportive of bringing us back into Metal balance. The energies of the season can support the replenishing of depleted mineral stores in the body and/or bringing Metal back into balance mentally and spiritually.

In 1996, I attended a business conference and was asked to participate on a Q & A panel. In one of my answers I mentioned I was encountering some significant pointers in a new book I was reading, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman, first published in late 1995. As soon as I uttered the name of the book I heard sneers of mockery or disbelief. How could those two contrary words belong together? In the time since 1996, the emotional quotient (EQ), coined by Goleman and in contrast to the traditional IQ, has been taking its place as a predictor of success in social and family relationships, in the management of people, and in teaching and learning (as stated by Goleman in his book). We have, as a culture, largely come to realize that our EQ often matters more than the intelligence quotient (IQ) for living enriching, fulfilled and healthy lives.

It requires a shift in focus to realize that, in fact, intelligence is not limited to rationality for indeed rationality and emotionality are dramatically different. But intelligence must not be limited to the intellect if we associate the intellect as the instrument of rationality.

In the last twenty plus years, an enormous movement in collective consciousness has, at least for many, made sense of the notion of emotional intelligence to the extent that it is now. It has also been studied for some time in colleges and graduate business schools. After a few centuries since The Age of Reason when rational intelligence dominated our Western culture, it became more broadly recognized that skillsets other than IQ are necessary to successfully undertake a number of personal and professional activities.

The five components of Goleman’s presentation are:

Self-awareness of emotions

Self-regulation of actions driven by emotions

Motivation to achieve

Receptivity to emotions of others

Social skills/managing relationships

Emotional intelligence captures a higher view of the relationship between oneself and others. It is less egocentric and more inclusive of how others feel and react. It turns its back on coercion in favor of cooperation. In a word, it is more respectful and more civilized.

The clincher is that EQ is proven to be more effective. And for those reasons we need to pay attention to the idea and its approach. This is also true at least for those of us who have the objective to live in a way that enhances our state of well-being and promotes a sense of happiness.

PHYTO5 is a quintessential wellness skincare line. From its conceptualization in the 70s, in the method underlining the formulation of the products and in the method of their application, the notion of balancing vital energy was key. It was recognized by the founders of the method and products that balanced vital energy was a precondition to feeling and looking good.

That relationship between how we feel and how we look was so clear that the company’s slogan was: “Beauty is Health Made Visible!”

In 2017, the exclusive Swiss manufacturer of PHYTO5 skin and hair care pioneered a breakthrough process to elevate the vibrational frequency of the already energetic level of the products. Now the products were raised to the quantum level of frequencies. At such a high frequency level the products are able to not only balance vital energy with positive effects on the skin, they also have the potential to balance our emotions. As negative emotions are dissipated the natural surfacing of positive ones take place. What results is a renewed feeling of happiness which is an incredibly important component for wellness.

For additional info. on happiness and wellness, in general, and how PHYTO5 quantum energetic skincare has the potential to elevate both, we invite you to review the following blog posts:

The next transition or "between seasons" period began on July 20 and lasts until August 6 when energetic Fall begins according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Just as it's wise to live in harmony with Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, let's not ignore the "between seasons" periods! One of the five between seasons periods for the year has just begun.

“Why is it then that Earth is most specifically awarded the place between Fire and Metal? The qualities of nurturance, abundance, fullness and ripeness align it naturally to the time of harvest, that time of year when the energy is neither rising (Fire) nor falling (Metal), a period of balance and harmony. Earth finds its natural place in the seasons of nature’s maturing.” —John Kirkwood, The Way of the Five Seasons: Living with Five Elements for Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Harmony

We are an inherent part of nature. We are not separate from it. Logically speaking, living in harmony with nature will assist us to have physical bodies that are in harmony in all of its internal systems. We will eat in a certain way, exercise in a certain way, sleep and wake accordingly, give, love, contemplate, and nurture ourselves in alignment with the ways of TCM’s Earth season. Not only our physical bodies will benefit with health and vitality thereby preventing illness, our mental, emotional and spiritual aspects will be kept on balance and they will thrive as well. See also our blog post of July 15, 2016.

The element associated with this transition period is Earth, the color is yellow, and the organs are stomach and spleen.

Now is the time to think about harvesting what we have sown throughout the summer. It's simultaneously a time of "decrease" or slowing down and abundance. At this time, it’s helpful for us to incorporate the following insights into our everyday lives:

Take a contemplative look at the fruits of our labor in a variety of arenas: in the relationships we enjoyed this summer, in our exuberance of life, and in the care of our hearts, both literally and figuratively.

Start directing our focus to the nurturing of ourselves and in the ways that intuitively come to us.

Intend to digest not only our food very well but our thoughts and emotions as well thereby enabling them to reach our minds and spirits.

Begin winding down and gathering in all the energies we have created throughout the Summer.

Direct our eye toward recognizing the bounty of the earth since harvest time will soon begin. We might look to see how we can be bountiful and generous in our lives with intentional giving to others.

Contemplate the harvest aspect of our lives to see the areas that are bearing fruit and which are not and then to determine when energetic Fall arrives (beginning August 7) which ones can be let go or given focus.

Decide on what is truly necessary in our lives and what is superfluous or a distraction and then take steps in alignment with these discoveries. This is important as we prepare to enter the Fall season where letting go is paramount.

Observe and mirror nature at this time of year. The metaphor of the cycles of nature has much to teach us. Now is the time to begin contemplating how the seeds we plant (both physically and metaphorically) reap similar kinds of harvests. We can contemplate the seeds we have sown and realize that every harvest bears the seeds for the next one.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published July 16, 2017 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

Photo by Brigitte Tohm at Unsplash

Source:

Kirkwood, John. The Way of the Five Seasons: Living with Five Elements for Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Harmony. Singing Dragon, 2016.

The 4th of July! A great day for outdoor celebrations, marching bands, barbecue, the beach… a welcome day off with friends and family. At the same time, how much thought goes into remembering what this holiday is about over and above the 13 colonies’ gaining of independence under the weight of the Crown of England leading eventually to the formation of our American Republic? These seminal events were the outcome of a collective state of mind of a handful of leaders representing those colonies and who have been referred to as the “Founding Fathers.”

Their state of mind was anchored by strong convictions of the rightfulness of certain critical values. First and foremost was a sense of freedom and independence from the unfair and arbitrary treatment they suffered at the hands of the English government. But the new world had inspired many who were fleeing oppressive conditions and who had made a difficult trip across the Atlantic to enjoy a sense of freedom found and the potential to more fully enjoy the fruits of their labor.

That sense of freedom included the right to pursue happiness in whichever way they could that was both legal and possible and so much so that the Declaration of Independence stressed “the pursuit of happiness” as an inalienable right.

Now why are we talking about all of this—and from our vantage point as a skincare company?

We consider that our unique skincare line based on the principles of vital energy is more than skincare. PHYTO5 quantum energetic products come with the very important added value and potential of balancing not only vital energy but the skin and emotions as well. This makes PHYTO5 an active modality of wellness.

Wellness is difficult to achieve without a reasonable level of happiness, therefore a national and a home environment that supports our pursuit of happiness is also an environment that supports our pursuit of wellness and vice-versa.

Media regularly reports about the escalation of physical and mental health crises. We are realizing alarming increases in suicides, opioid addiction and obesity. Our population increasingly suffers the effects of mental stress from a mounting number of sources. This mental stress pervades our lives as we unconsciously develop and suffer from a sense of separation as a result of immersing ourselves in technologies. Our relationships tend to be more with smartphones, tablets and computers than with people.

Given the documented drop of the “Happiness Index” in the U.S. (see our earlier blog posts on the topic: here, here and here), it is reasonable, if not necessary, to ask ourselves if things are on the right track in our government in terms of providing its citizens with what will contribute positively or negatively to our rightful pursuit of our happiness, wellness and vitality of life objective.

In this regard, it is clear that we need to make it known to politicians that their mission is more complex than crusading for a single issue. We must let them know that we are going to need more from them if they want our votes. We deserve this and must demand it!

This concludes our "In Pursuit of Happiness" blog post series. Here are the links to the other three posts:

The roots of PHYTO5, both the method and the products, and going back to the 70s are the principles that led to the launching of our signature “energetic skincare,” namely, the skincare method based on the fact that the body is not only vital matter but vital energy as well.

We fully espouse the idea that vital energy balance is critical to a healthy body and that beauty is health made visible—taking a broad view of health as physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

The principles of traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda feed the thinking and the creativity behind the conceptualization of our method, protocols and Swiss-made product formulation.

We see energetic skincare well practiced as a modality of wellness along with many complementary lifestyle practices such as healthy eating, enjoyable and measured exercise, mindfulness and meditation, generous enriching relationships and more.

We have come to realize just how vital emotional balance is in health, beauty, and wellness. This has led us to express our concern about a number of studies that recently came to the surface and which address a very concerning trend in the U.S.—a reduction in the “happiness index” as compared to other countries coupled with evidence of increased levels of anxiety and stress for a large portion of the population.

Increasingly mindful that wellness without happiness is not achievable, any environment whether social, financial, or political that creates and maintains serious impediments to our “pursuit of happiness” is both bad for our health and, in fact, runs contrary to American ideals as expressed in the founding documents of our republic.

It is, therefore, both fair game and responsible to blow the horn to alert our readers how important it is to realize that our self-interests have a great deal in common. We can bring our shared fundamental individual survive-and-thrive instincts together as one so that we can actually do something proactive about an alarming growing trend that threatens to keep us from our fullest vitality of life potential and experience.

All of us, individually and collectively, make decisions that either encourage or discourage elected officials to do what will favor and support our pursuit of happiness and vitality of life. It stands to reason that our desire to do more than survive but thrive must broaden our views and choices when we perform our civic duty to vote.

We cannot be genuinely interested in our wellness and the wellness of our family and friends without considering the state of our environment, our air and water quality, and the sustainability of rich land to grow nutritious food free from harmful chemicals, to name a few. As evolved beings, we must recognize that these are equally as important as the safety of our country, our towns, and neighborhoods and it is why we find it so important at this time to speak out.

In our immediately preceding blog post, we focused on America’s recent drop in the happiness index as indicated in the United Nations sponsored World Happiness Report for 2018. This esteemed report ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels and 117 countries by the happiness of their immigrants. It studies the causes for ranking trends and makes important global conclusions such as the realization that wellness is not achievable without a “healthy level of happiness.”

In our previous blog post, we also had to recognize the political root factors that have lowered the happiness index for the U.S. The U.S. drop in ranking from 2017 to 2018 of four places–from 14th to 18th place in the world–is considered so important it begged an explanation which is suggested by one of the authors of the Report:

“The U.S. is in the midst of a complex and worsening public health crisis involving epidemics of obesity, opioid addictions, and major depressive disorders that are all remarkable by global standards.”

In the face of this depressing new trend in the U.S. and which is not likely to be resolved anytime soon both clients and professional skincare and wellness practitioners and technicians must develop a greater awareness of the issue and devise some mitigating solutions for their clients and patients.

The first level of awareness required is that our wellness goals are not subject simply to taking responsibility for our bodies and lifestyle and consciously choosing our wellness professionals.

There is also a third party that, unfortunately, plays a significant role. It is the government, both state and federal. They create an environment that is either constructive to our wellness objectives or in opposition to them. When their decisions oppose our wellness objectives, it makes it harder for us to achieve them. This is presently the case we find ourselves in.

The second level of our awareness should focus on the role each one of us can play in ensuring wellness for ourselves and others and to realize that the environment within which we live is significantly affected by the government we choose to elect. As we strive to make very conscious choices at election time, we must be mindful of the obstacles we face. In this regard, an analogy may be helpful.

One of the benefits of the high specialization of modern medicine is the extraordinary accomplishments we periodically hear of concerning amazing medical miracles, often in the surgical field. But the other side of the coin is that specialization of doctors, often for the purpose of getting to a position that yields a higher income, is also a very limiting trend whereby our medical community is so single-minded in their specialized outlook that they lose track of the whole being and can’t fully diagnose what is really going on in the patient’s holistic picture. That is in opposition to the die-hard holistic doctors, often of energy medicines or naturopathy, who strive to look at all the aspects of the patient in order to understand the root cause of their medical issues because they fully comprehend that everything occurring within a human being is interrelated.

The single focus of our politicians is reminiscent of the over-specialization of doctors. In fact, it is worse because the politicians get elected often on a single issue stemming from a simplistic slogan. They become so fixated on it alone that they no longer can negotiate and compromise for the benefit of the whole. They lose track of the broader picture. It is reminiscent of the proverbial hammer that sees all objects to be a nail.

Those of us more inclined to see a doctor with a holistic outlook who will take the time necessary for each patient rather than work within a seven minute time frame as is the current average will tend to bring the same mindset to the selection of government representatives. The only trouble is it requires an effort on our part. It used to be taught and referred to as our civic duty—to stay reasonably informed of the issues and the proposed solutions posed by various political candidates and then to express our choices for the good of the whole and not simply with only the short-term impact on our pocket book in mind.

And now we realize that electoral participation goes beyond our civic duty. It becomes a part of our strategy to attain a greater sense of our own wellness.

Renewed interest in energy medicines such as traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines is timely for many reasons. They provide an understanding of and tools to address all aspects of the patient including their emotional state which links wellness to happiness. Our 2017 blog post series on wei chi provides an explanation of the wellness–happiness link. (Enter wei chi in the search bar on this site to access all blog posts on the topic.)

In our next blog post, we will review the approach offered by Laboratoire Gibro of Switzerland, the exclusive manufacturer of PHYTO5 energetic skincare with its breakthrough formulation process that elevates the vibrational frequencies of the products to the quantum level where they demonstrate an enhanced potential to balance vital energy as well as emotions. Our quantum energetic skincare lines are designed to be a support to anyone desiring to live a happy, emotionally balanced life.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident…” These famous words start the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson on behalf of the rest of the founding fathers. It goes on to declare certain unalienable rights such as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Under the influence of the enlightenment philosophers of his era, particularly from France and England, it was quite a progressive and prescient position to take on Jefferson’s part when he ranked the pursuit of happiness on the same footing as life and liberty. The United Nations sponsored World Happiness Report ranks the U.S. 18th among nations. Let's explore how this happened and what we can do to improve our standard of living.

Eleven years later, in 1787, the ratified Constitution of the United States is introduced by its first paragraph with the objective “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

These two documents that most deeply define the very nature and core values of the United States of America highlight a fundamental vision for future governments to follow in providing critical elements for the safety and happiness of present and future generations of Americans.

How close to that vision are we today? How faithful to these expectations have our past and present government officials been?

It is fair to say that at the time the founding fathers were trailblazers compared to the leaders of other countries, but today where does the U.S. stand in the world relative to these objectives and values?

The recent United Nations sponsored World Happiness Report gives us a basis from which to measure and compare. Their yearly report compares over 150 countries against six criteria: income, life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust, and generosity.

The U.S. has never made it into the top ten which is dominated by the Nordic European countries. In 2017, it ranked number 14. In 2018, it dropped to number 18. Dropping four places in one year is considered extreme. The drop is partly explained by one of the authors of the report as follows:

“The U.S. is in the midst of a complex and worsening public health crisis involving epidemics of obesity, opioid addictions, and major depressive disorders that are all remarkable by global standards.”

Of course, a public health crisis is a direct outcome of state and federal policies. They cover a wide spectrum of matters from agricultural policies, to the regulation of dangerous chemicals and practices affecting food, water and air, to the drug and health care industries.

The level of anxiety prevalent in the U.S. is exacerbated by widespread concern over lack of job security, low minimum pay practices, the possibility of personal bankruptcy resulting from having insufficient yet costly health care insurance and more.

The 2018 Trend Report from the Global Wellness Institute commented on this drastic development in the U.S. and noted that “there cannot be wellness without a healthy level of happiness!”

Over the last 20 years, the exploding spa and wellness industry at-large has created a demand for achieving an enhanced sense of wellness for its clients. The implication is that a committed patron of a qualified spa will achieve a reasonable level of wellness improvement. But now we learn that our individual wellness also depends on outside factors directly or indirectly related to the actions of our government.

Suddenly we are faced with a more complex problem: wellness solutions are not simply dependent on a relationship between client and spa professionals. It is not simply a matter of how much time and money the client is willing to invest in his or her wellness objectives. It goes beyond as we discover that the environment in which we live–physical, financial, social, and political–is always a part of the equation.

But are these additional considerations really something new? Is it not that many of us have fallen into a state of oblivion forgetting the deep consequences our elected officials actually have on the quality of our lives?

The founding fathers made a prescient statement when they expressed their vision. The first paragraph of the Constitution states its objective clearly: “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

It’s appropriate for us to examine and ponder each part of the statement and evaluate how faithful we have been to this admonition:

Can there be “a more perfect union” when there is a systematic refusal on the part of the representatives of different ideologies to listen to each other and work toward compromises that achieve incremental progress?

Can there be “justice” when we have conscious and unconscious racial divide? And when “justice” often bends toward the super wealthy?

Can we enjoy “domestic tranquility” when we have such extreme issues such as those currently challenging us, from unchecked global warming to the consequences of extreme wealth concentration?

Do we need to spend such a large portion of our resources on “common defense” at the direct cost of underfunding our other objectives?

How should we “promote general welfare” when state and federal governments would rather provide tax breaks to high income earners rather than fully fund programs that fully constitute the very elements of general welfare such as education and health services?

How can we “secure the blessings of liberty” if our food is produced and distributed in a way that is detrimental to our health? If large corporations are allowed to deplete or poison our soil, our air, and our water? And if we replace farmland with still more strip malls or suburban housing developments?

Without jeopardizing the uniqueness of the American spirit of independence, why can’t we be willing to see that the “happiest” countries have managed to enjoy high income levels as well as provide the social services that make the individual pursuit of happiness easier than it currently is in the U.S.? Aren’t these countries offering lessons we might benefit from?

In this regard, we also point out that the six criteria used to make evaluations for the Happiness Index are not contrary to any of the elements of the vision outlined in the first paragraph of the U.S. Constitution.

In short, isn’t it shocking to us that the ideals declared by our founding fathers have been achieved more easily by the Northern European and some of the Western European nations than by the Americans who, at least conceptually, had a clear head start over the rest of the world?

What is coming to our awareness is that our health and our happiness is not simply within our control even for the super wealthy. It cannot be separated from our political choices, and our choices cannot be made on simplistic slogans. Each one of us must understand the issues and the broad consequences of our choices before we cast our votes. Voting is not a passive activity.

Our wellness and our happiness are interrelated. They require we make a greater effort than initially perceived. Just as wellness calls for responsibility concerning our bodies and lifestyle, we must also work at achieving a collective environment that more purposefully espouses the vision of the founding fathers.

The 2018 Global Wellness Trends Report prepared by the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) report makes for interesting reading. One of the eight mega-trends for the global wellness industry is Wellness Meets Happiness.

It attracted my attention since it casts an authoritative light on happiness as a requirement for enduring wellness. It also validates PHYTO5’s pioneering work in using its powerful vital energy balancing skincare line to work beyond the level of the skin and to reach through to emotions by way of vital energy balancing.

This important effort culminated in mid-2017 when we launched the “Beauty of Emotions” protocols¹ for facials, body treatment and energetic massage. The Beauty of Emotions treatments are made effective with our new generation energetic PHYTO5 products whose vibrational levels have been elevated to the quantum level. At the quantum level the products and Beauty of Emotions treatments act not only on the skin and vital energy but on emotions as well.

It’s only in the last 20 years that the idea of a science of happiness gained momentum. The conclusions reached so far have important impact on our physical, emotional, and spiritual state.

It is now crystal clear that happiness and wellness are intertwined.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda of India have always had that understanding. In our series of blog posts on the topic of wei chi(and our white paper entitled, Wei Chi and the Beauty of Emotions), we pointed to the ancient wisdom that the vital energy of our immune system can be destroyed by negative emotions and that conversely, nurturing human relationships are a critical strengthening factor of wei chi.

The relationship between vital energy balance, health of the organs, and emotional balance, is a core concept of ancient energy medicines. Negative emotions affect the organs in a detrimental way in the same way a blockage of vital energy does. Vital energy balance positively helps maintain both physical and emotional balance which is a pre-requisite to wellness.

The best manifestation of emotional balance is rewarding human relationships be they familial or social. Sustained social isolation is very negative to our health and happiness.

Unfortunately, the tech explosion, particularly the so-called smartphones and tablets that have become addictive for many people including our younger population, has driven a wedge between people in many ways. By trying to connect people in a “virtual" way, social apps have dismembered the nourishing value of live face-to-face connections. The Global Wellness Trends report cites a recent study that indicates we touch, swipe, or tap our smartphone an average of 2,617 times a day! This dramatizes the (negative) importance these devices have on our lives.

The obvious remedy is to disengage from the constant use of high tech devices and reconnect with nature and people, but there must be a quality to that reconnection. This reconnection with nature and people requires real engagement. It’s not about simply looking at nature. It’s about letting nature speak to us. It’s not about simply being with other people. It’s about learning and developing empathy.

Authenticity and honesty must underscore our experience which is a pathway toward a better awareness of our own true and higher selves.

Ultimately, implied in the entire effort to achieve happiness and wellness is the ultimate achievement of some degree of a spiritual awareness of our higher self. Through this more intimate understanding of ourselves we deepen the quality of our human relationships.

All this is not possible, however, when we largely reside in a negative emotional state so it is very important we do what we can to balance our emotions, using all the help we can get.

Sometimes this help comes from unexpected sources such as including the quantum effect of PHYTO5 energetic skincare products.

In it we see validation at two levels:

Modern science validating TCM’s premise of a systematic connection between emotions and physiology;

Validation for PHYTO5 with its new signature “Beauty of Emotions” treatments (facial, body treatment, and energetic massage). The products are formulated and the treatments designed to enhance our innate and often latent positive emotions. This is achieved by a breakthrough product formulation that delivers high vibrational potency and reaches to the core quantum level where all healing actually occurs.

Water: for dehydration, lack of skin tone, wrinkles and issues of water circulation (water retention) (indicating a Water element imbalance); will also assist your emotional balance when you're feeling fearful and agitated; truly relax and achieve a sense of zenitude and supreme serenity.

¹ This link for Beauty of Emotions signature treatments by PHYTO5 takes you to our site dedicated to skincare professionals. If you are looking for a PHYTO5 professional in your area, please go here so that we can help you find the closest professional to you who offers Beauty of Emotions treatments.

The subject of happiness is a serious one. Many books have been written about it in the last decade and in the wake of the positive psychology¹ trend, it has become subject matter for a number of universities. Many schools of thought and holistically oriented disciplines emphatically believe we cannot be truly and wholly healthy without having an overriding general sense of happiness.

Of course, the Founding Fathers elevated the subject by enshrining “the pursuit of happiness” in the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a natural objective and fundamental human right, the idea of which is generally ignored throughout history by the ruling class.

It is said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The same might apply to happiness.

There are no universal criteria for beauty and likewise happiness is a very individual experience. What makes me happy might not be what makes you happy.

The normal healthy individual would rather be happy than not, yet happiness eludes most people. At best, for most, the state of happiness is spasmodic and rarely sustained as a temporary state of joy or the experience of occasional pleasurable events. Still others seem to be so invested in their unhappiness that one could say they find their relative happiness in their unhappiness.

Read PHYTO5 President Jon Canas' white paper on the subject of happiness and joy and how they relate to health and vitality. Get your FREE download here.

In general, babies are more often happy than not. Except for some limited periods during their waking time, and unless they are hungry or feel some physical discomfort, their normal state is happiness expressed by smiles and laughter. This is also true of young children.

As a child increases its interactions with adults, by age five or six, he or she begins to become increasingly less happy. For a majority of children, the resulting unhappiness grows as the child becomes a teenager and young adult. Unfortunately, this is often a time when many teens and young adults experience depression, even suicidal tendencies.

If health requires an absence of disease, happiness requires an absence of unhappiness. Unlike a car that has a neutral position between Drive (forward) and Reverse, the human being only has an On or Off position when it comes to happiness. It is like a room without windows. The light is either on or off. This can be a useful realization.

What if happiness is always present within our being but not necessarily expressed? Even when it is not expressed, could we conceive that happiness is nevertheless latent, that it always exists in its potentiality?

It is just like a lamp in a dark room that waits to be turned on. If happiness is not expressed, it is not because it disappeared. It’s because we have unconsciously given in to some idea of unhappiness.

Conversely, if we can eliminate our unhappiness, wouldn’t it follow that we should naturally and normally express happiness?

Why wouldn’t our emotions behave in the same manner as the functions of our physical body since when the cause of a disease is defeated or removed a state of health returns?

The physical body benefits from self-regulating processes (homeostatic mechanisms) that will return the body to a state of equilibrium after it has been under any destabilizing inner or outer attack. It returns to homeostasis, a state of balance with normal physiological functions.

Experienced happiness is expressed happiness.

You would have to make an effort to hide your happiness when you experience it. It is like a spring that has been pushed down momentarily and is ready to spring up the moment whatever holds it down is removed. That becomes a clue for achieving greater and more frequent states of happiness, but it has a requirement: the awareness of our state of unhappiness and what is causing it.

Just as our physical attributes can be developed with sports activities or certain manual work, and just as our mental capacity can be increased by intellectual activities, we can learn what makes us happy and how to get there more of the time.

It merely calls for us to develop a greater emotional intelligence when it comes to our own emotions. It demands attention to our state of awareness.

This might not be an easy task for some people because very often many things are not what they appear to be. Who we thought might become a friend might reveal himself or herself to be an adversary. A pleasurable activity might turn out to have significant negative consequences. We must develop a certain degree of discrimination on what we accept as friendly or unfriendly to our innate sense of happiness. This is conscious awareness of who and what we are and consequently, what we will experience as positive or not.

Happiness is what reinforces our innate sense of our true self. It is when life brings to our experience people, things, places, and conditions that resonate with us on a deeper level—the level where there is peace, inner joy, and happiness. Happiness is also felt when the mind is at rest and free of worrying thoughts.

Human beings generally tend to learn in three steps:

First, an idea comes to our awareness.

Then we pass a value judgment about it: Is it true, practical, beneficial, and in keeping with our values?

But when embraced, it is only with the third step that it becomes a factor in our experience: When we make it a part of our lives and living. Then it becomes no longer an idea but a personal ongoing experience.

Happiness is a deeper and more significant emotional state than what is referred to as joy. Joy is generally shorter lived, relying on outer factors such as receiving a gift, having an encounter with a friend, event, or place.

Happiness is more akin to contentment. It is a deeper emotional state that makes a greater beneficial contribution to our physical and mental states of being. Peace of mind accompanies happiness which is not the case with a burst of joy.

Unhappiness is often defined as a disconnection from or a lack of the things that make people happy in general and each one of us in particular. Consequently, moving toward happiness requires an awareness of what as an individual we need to reconnect with. Happy family life and rich friendships tend to promote happiness. The same applies to the presence and experience of beautiful natural scenes.

Conversely, having to experience ugly, polluted, miserable places, and finding ourselves with a lack of friendly human contact are barriers to the experience of happiness. The exception would require an exalted state of spiritual connectedness.

Are there simple ways to promote happiness?

In a recent article from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter of January 11, 2018, we read an attention-getting headline:

“Could Enhanced Wellness and Vitality Be Just a Whiff Away?”

The article states:

Aromatherapy—or the use of essential oils—has been embraced since early times to promote wellness and vitality. With exciting new research exposing its many potential benefits for emotional and spiritual well-being, its time has arrived.

This brings support to PHYTO5’s new “Beauty of Emotions” treatment. This leading edge treatment is intended to restore a state of happiness using the essential oil-rich quantum energetic PHYTO5 skincare products which are formulated according to the Five Element Theory of traditional Chinese medicine and in which both vital energy and emotions become balanced.

The treatment protocol assists the client to become aware of her or his dominating emotion and it helps remove any imbalance.

Freed of negativity, latent happiness is restored.

A series of treatments with home use of the energetic serum (called Phyt’Éther) corresponding to each of the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) helps maintain the state of happiness.

Balanced emotions are key to inner health and vitality which reflects outward in the skin. The secret to a high quality of life, living, happiness and beauty is the balance of emotions. When we work with the body's physical matter, unseen vital energy and emotions, we create a very real and viable holistic strategy for successful beauty, vitality and longevity outcomes all of which are dependent on our ongoing state of emotional being which we hope is one of happiness most of the time.

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¹Positive psychology is "the scientific study of what makes life most worth living",[1] or "the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life".[2] Positive psychology is concerned with eudaimonia, "the good life," reflection about what holds the greatest value in life—the factors that contribute the most to a well-lived and fulfilling life.

The key concept behind the various forms of energy medicines is that the body is not simply matter but vital energy as well.

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines ‘vital’ as:

indispensable to the continuance of life, and

full of energy.

It is vital energy that makes matter vital. Health requires a proper flow of vital energy. Blockages of vital energy flow cause not just physical discomforts but disease.

The key concept behind quantum medicine is that it is not cellular biochemical exchange that determines our state of health. It is actually the electromagnetic information that cells communicate with each other that has a direct bearing on our health.

This suggests two things:

Vital energy carries information.

The information is intelligent.

This intelligence implies that a constituent part of our being knows. That knowledge is within the being. It can be understood as the knowledge of our Higher Self, the ultimate observer.

A disease is not simply a biological problem as generally seen by contemporary Western medicine but a lack or blockage in the information carried by the vital energy flow.

Quantum medicine is informational in nature and calls upon the innate intelligence of that which directs and regulates our biological functions. That notion is reminiscent of the quantum physics thesis that the action of the observer in a quantum experiment will affect the outcome of the observation. There is an implied recognition that a non-material aspect, call it intention or consciousness, affects the outcome of both matter and energy.

Quantum medicine accepts and counts on a patient’s natural propensity for auto-regeneration. The restored flow of intelligent information promotes an energetic coherence that heals.

Albert Einstein's famous equation E=mc2 can be seen as a precursor to quantum medicine. It can be translated as “matter and energy are interchangeable,” and further that “matter is energy in motion.”

All things vibrate. Plants, animals, humans, rocks and rivers all vibrate. Our physical senses are not able to necessarily perceive the vibrational aspect of matter because of the speed of energy movement.

All matter is energy. Everything has a vibrational frequency which can be measured in hertz (Hz). These electromagnetic frequencies have been researched for over a century. As modern equipment continues to improve, the subtle energy of our vital energy can be measured more and more precisely with biofeedback equipment.

Quantum medicine forces us to no longer see the body merely as a complex of organs and tissues each of which can be treated separately. Instead we can now view the body as a complex of constantly vibrating electromagnetic fields where trillions of biophoton particles of light circulate within our physical and energetic bodies to carry necessary information to maintain homeostasis (the ability of the body or a cell to seek and maintain a condition of equilibrium or stability).

Quantum therapies use a variety of biodynamic frequencies(frequencies that promote our physiological functions) to reset the information flow. The process by which the vibrational correction is made is called bio-resonance.

Quantum physics and the work of Albert Einstein concerning the nature and behavior of light focused on the subatomic realm, the level even more fundamental than the atom. There it was discovered that there are no smaller amounts of matter but rather there are small quantities of energy (quanta of energy) in constant vibration, thus we come to the conclusion that the building blocks of matter are energy in movement determined by specific frequencies. To each organ, each tissue, and each cell corresponds a specific energy (thus a specific frequency and electromagnetic field) just as each cellphone has its own number by which it can be identified and to which it can be connected.

The recognition that the building blocks of the vital matter of our body are small bundles of energy called quanta of energy has led to a new vision of the body, its illnesses, and energetic healing therapies.

That approach and its solutions have become what is called quantum medicine of which there are a variety of modalities.

The findings of quantum physics influenced quantum medicine in a number of ways one of which is the acceptance of the effect of mind over matter. Practitioners of oriental martial arts and of yoga know that where their attention and intention go so does their energy. In like fashion, many quantum scientists believe that consciousness influences matter. This gives light to Deepak Chopra’s quote from his seminal book, “Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine:”

Quantum healing moves away from external, high-technology methods towards the deepest core of the mind-body system. This core is where healing begins. To go there and learn to promote the healing response, you must get past all the grosser levels of the body–cells, tissues, organs, and systems–and arrive at the junction point between mind and matter, the point where consciousness actually starts to have an effect.

Looking to the past: It is remarkable that so much of what is unfolding in the last few decades so completely justifies the precepts of ancestral energy medicines, particularly traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda of India.

Caveat: Google searches on quantum medicine will suggest that it is pseudo–science, even quackery, but of course, we hear the same comments about chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, and reiki, for example, to this day. Science generally proceeds with new and disturbing empirical observations that can be proven only at a later date and which are generally slowly accepted. Many scientists continue to dispute quantum physics, yet without its findings, we would have no iPhones, smart televisons, or GPS in our cars.

It might be surprising but it’s a fact that most people tend to be less happy when they are young. In many cases, still too young to be able to realize that social norms we've been raised to live by are actually keeping us toiling in stress and duress, younger people can experience many obstacles to happiness.

For most people, it's only when they mature that they begin to realize none of that is either worth it or important. With maturity people seem to more easily "feel comfortable in their own skin."

Elena Holodny of Business Insider points to a very recent Nielsen study in which participants self-identified their levels of happiness:

“According to Nielsen, there is 'scientific evidence that people get happier as they get older. While there are differing theories as to why this is, most agree that it is an acceptance of aging that promotes contentedness. Logically, this acceptance is more apt to happen with older people.' In OECD* countries, more than half of 65+ cohort report to be in good health, which means that not only do the elderly have more free time, but they would be equipped to take advantage of it.”

With maturity we also learn that we have some control over our emotions and that whatever emotion we choose as the predominant one shapes our experience in many ways. It affects the quality of our relationships, and therefore our health, and resulting from our level of health and vitality–our appearance.

All negative experiences in our lives, including sickness and the physical decline we experience as we age, negatively affect our emotional state. Emotional negativity can result also from poor lifestyle habits. Emotional negativity has a propensity to feed on itself and left unattended will become a spoiler in our lives. A great deal of self-awareness and discipline are required to maintain emotional balance.

The good news is that simple and affordable solutions for addressing emotional negativity are available based on the potential to balance one's unseen vital energy, and beyond that, one's emotional state.

PHYTO5 quantum energetic skincare can help you balance your emotions. It can take you to that place where you can feel good with and within yourself.

A new and groundbreaking method of product formulation has raised the vibrational frequency of PHYTO5 energetic skincare products to reach the quantum zero-point within our being.

Deepak Chopra, M.D. in his book Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine, explains:

"Quantum healing moves away from external, high-technology methods towards the deepest core of the mind-body system. This core is where healing begins. To go there and learn to promote the healing response, you must get past all the grosser levels of the body–cells, tissues, organs, and systems–and arrive at the junction point between mind and matter, the point where consciousness actually starts to have an effect." –Deepak Chopra

PHYTO5 has discovered a way to access this level and impregnate each of its five element skincare lines with this high vibrational balancing property.

Premium-grade, uniquely blended natural essences raised to the quantum level and added to skincare products do more than work at skin level. Vital energy begins to flow throughout the body followed by emotional release and a profound sense of calm and well-being. These essences work to remove negative emotions and lift the positive ones to our awareness.

In the same way that all colors derive from three primary colors, in traditional Chinese medicine, all emotions derive from five basic emotions, each with a yang/positive and yin/negative aspect. This is why PHYTO5 brings to you five energetic skincare lines including Phyt'Ethers.

PHYTO5's new Beauty of Emotions professional therapy delivers the full potential of PHYTO5 quantum skincare in a very specific protocol also utilizing PHYTO5 proprietary equipment and designed to easily and effortlessly bring the client to a state of elation and immense well-being in addition to heightened vitality of skin. And the effects are lasting when following a simple home regimen.

We recognize, however, that not everyone lives in the vicinity of a PHYTO5 professional trained in the Beauty of Emotions protocol. There is a way PHYTO5 customers can begin enjoying the benefit of the quantum products without experiencing the full Beauty of Emotions treatment. It is possible to achieve this sense of feeling comfortable in your skin, feeling better about who you are, even feeling a sense of elation and yes, feeling beautiful too!

Start with one of our next generation quantum Phyt’Ether serums. Go here to order online.You will start with the Phyt'Ether that corresponds to your current dominant emotion. Since most of us experience many different emotions at various times in our lives and even in the course of one day, by having all five Phyt'Ethers, you will be sure to always have the right serum on hand to balance your emotional state.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), color is a pointer that assists us to better live in harmony with the season.

The color for energetic Fall is blue or white. When it comes to food during Fall, white foods are the ones that will help fortify our health during Autumn. The white foods mentioned in this blog entry are suggested as either complements to your diet or as seasonal replacements for certain fruits and vegetables. Chinese medicine is all about balance so keep this concept in mind during Fall food prep. Do not eat white foods to the exclusion of most others.

The organs of Fall in Chinese medicine are lung (yin) and large intestine (yang). Our skin is so closely associated with the element of the season, Metal,and particularly associated with the lungs that TCM refers to the skin as our third lung. Lung needs to be strong enough to keep the dryness-causing wind out during Fall.

White foods, also known as clear foods, are very beneficial for the skin and they help us to nourish the lungs at a time when our bodies needs the energy our lungs the most.

Pear is just about as efficient as apple in Autumn. Its nature is cold and nourishing, balancing the yang in our bodies and helping to prevent dryness and coughing. Its properties are particularly activated when adding white flesh pear to warm soups.

White or snow fungus is one of the most popular fungi in the cuisine and medicine of China and is very nourishing to the skin. It can also help reduce lung damage caused by smoking. It has a refreshing taste and is best used in sweet soups along with pear mentioned above.

Some flower bulbs can be eaten and are enormously nutritious. The lily bulb is one of them. These bulbs can be gathered in Autumn, cleaned and sun-dried. The lily bulb’s nature is moist and it helps to pacify emotional anxiety and uneasiness as we transition from one season to the next. Consume sun-dried lily bulb with white fungus and honey or sautéed with garlic and celery.

Lotus seed has strong properties for healing colds and reducing fevers. Use less than a handful of lotus seeds (purchased in Chinese grocery stores and pharmacies) and make a warm, sweet soup with the above-mentioned ingredients (pear, white fungus and lily bulbs). Cook all together with some crystallized cane sugar (not common refined sugar) on low heat.

The water chestnut is very good for clearing the lungs and again, very beneficial for people who smoke.

White beans are very detoxifying and rich in minerals. They also contain a little known trace mineral, molybdenum responsible for manufacturing a number of detoxifying enzymes. They fight against the storage of energy as body fat and their high antioxidant content provides anti-aging properties.

Abounding in vitamin C, lotus root helps to maintain the integrity of blood vessels, organs and skin. (Vitamin C is both antioxidant and an important component of collagen.) Lotus root can be steamed, stewed or fried.

To treat dryness that comes with Autumn, here is a more exhaustive list of white foods that can be very effective. They can help clear heat, promote fluid production and moisten the lung.

[The Flower of Life] is the source of all language. It’s the primal language of the universe, pure shape and proportion. –Drunvalo Melchisedek, The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life

The Flower of Life (also known as the Genesis Pattern, the Language of Silence and the Language of Light) is a geometrical shape composed of an overlapping circles grid. This grid is a geometric pattern of evenly spaced repeating, overlapping circles of equal radii in two-dimensional space.

The spheres in the Flower of Life are arranged in place to form a flower-like pattern with a sixfold symmetry, similar to a hexagon. The center of each circle is on the circumference of six surrounding circles of the same diameter.

For many, the geometric pattern of the Flower of Life represents the essential concept of quantum physics. It is believed by many metaphysical traditions to be the first completed energetic life form God created. It is widely considered to be the sacred geometry pictograph forming the foundational tenets of ancient religious and philosophical sages.

It is widely conjectured that this pattern depicts the fundamental forms of space and time and many scientifically-rooted philosophical groups conclude it to be the veritable foundation of the universe.

There are a number of present day physicists who have resolved quantum theory mathematics to the same geometry as the Flower of Life.

Other sacred geometry forms can be identified within the Flower of Life. The image of the Tree of Life is nested inside it and so is the vesica piscis (formed when the centers of two equal radius circles are placed on each other’s circumferences). Every line in the Tree of Life measures out to either the length or the width of a vesica piscis in the Flower of Life.

Leonardo DaVinci was very interested in the Flower of Life and studied its form and mathematical properties. He was intrigued by the ways in which the Flower of Life connected to physical reality as well as to consciousness. Da Vinci was known for using the Golden Ratio of Phi in his artwork, also known as the Fibonacci Spiral which is itself derived from the Flower of Life pattern.

At first glance, the Flower of Life appears to be rather simple, but students of sacred geometry find there is a much deeper meaning behind its design. The 'Fruit of Life’ symbol composed of 13 circles is also nested inside the Flower of Life and it is said to be the blueprint of the universe, containing the starting point for the design of every atom, molecular structure, and life form in existence.

Many postulate that understanding the Flower of Life can help us to understand how the universe works. Sacred geometry ascribes symbolic and sacred meanings to certain geometric shapes and proportions and the Flower of Life certainly provides a basis for such contemplation.

Perhaps it can be said that the Flower of Life is regarded as a source of knowledge to everything that exists where each of the circles contained within it explains another aspect of reality.

Many scientists drill down even more specifically believing that all linguistic languages can be mapped from the sacred geometry of the Flower of Life form. It is their perception that the Flower of Life visually shows that language is vibration.

Today, the Flower of Life is used as a focus both for study and meditation. It is a symbol connecting all individual souls into the web of life. A product of higher intelligence, consciousness and vibration, all objects and creatures in our tangible world are believed to have emerged from it.

PHYTO5 energetic skincare has adopted the symbol of the Flower of Life to visually depict the quantum nature of its new generation skincare launching this Fall.

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Source:

Melchizedek, Drunvalo. The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life. Light Technology Pub, 2000.

Autumn is a time of establishing a rhythmic order. There is a downward energy, grounding our bodies, minds and even our food into the earth. It is the ideal time to focus on the colon as life energy contracts and will prepare for a dormant state in the winter. Autumn is associated with white, and also the time of year our ‘white’ foods are at their peak. They are the digestives and immune boosting foods such as: apples, pears, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic and leeks. – Kate Kennington, Cleansing with Kate

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the energetic season of Fall has begun and will run until October 20. Now is the time to gently immerse ourselves in the quieter, more introspective energies of the season. It’s a time of harvest and of preparation for the upcoming energetic Winter.

In keeping with the theme of preparing for Winter, we will want to get ourselves more organized at this time of year, establishing more order in our lives. Throughout Summer, we’ve feasted and “fested.” We expressed ourselves more physically as we enjoyed vacations and social events and holidays, but inn the season of Autumn, we’ll want to come more inside our body and mind and reflect on our lives in positive and productive ways. What can we learn from the past two seasons in a way we can constructively apply throughout Fall and Winter?

If we have unfinished projects begun in Spring and Summer, now is the optimum time to complete them. (See our blog post of last Fall for a number of tips on completing unfinished projects.) The energies of the Fall season will now support and encourage the beginning of indoor projects that involve more mental and introspective processes.

The lung and large intestine are the internal organs associated with Fall and the Metal element. Lung is associated with the emotion of letting go. The very act of conscious breathing enables us to let go of the unwanted as we fully and deeply exhale.

There are many people who so love the Summer that Fall may be a challenging time since they have no choice but to give up longer days, warm weather and certain kinds of outdoor social activities. Utilizing the lungs to practice slowing down the breath can assist to maintain our physical vigor throughout the Fall and Winter and also bring us mental clarity and a nicely balanced emotional state. (Check out our blog post entitled, “Six Breaths a Minute…” at our sister Ageless La Cure site for a simple breathing technique anyone can do and which can transform your life.)

Soul and spirit should be tranquil to keep lungs pure… – The Neijing Suwen

TCM finds the lung to be the "tender organ” since it is the uppermost organ in the body making it particularly susceptible to wind and cold. As the temperatures change, be proactive with your health by dressing appropriately for the weather even though we’ve become accustomed to habits of Summer dress. (On a related topic, be sure to read our former blog post on the importance of wearing a scarf in Fall.)

Fall vitality is also encouraged by proper sleep. The ancient medical text, the Neijing Suwen, advises we should retire early at night and rise with the crowing of the rooster during Autumn.

There was temperance in eating and drinking. Their hours of rising and retiring were regular and not disorderly and wild. By these means the ancients kept their bodies united with their souls, so as to fulfill their allotted span completely, measuring unto a hundred years before they passed away. – The Neijing Suwen

The wise man will surely conform to the changes of the four seasons, adapt himself to the cold of winter and the heat of summer, neutralize joy and anger and live a regular life. – The Neijing Suwen

You have probably been noticing an increasing presence of essential oilsin supermarkets and hypermarkets (i.e. Target, Wal-Mart, Meijer's, etc.).

An essential oil is a natural volatile material typically obtained by distillation and having the characteristic fragrance or flavor of the plant or other source from which it is extracted. 'Volatile' means the oil evaporates rapidly at room temperature while a fixed oil does not.

Be aware that many products labeled "essential oils," particularly in skincare products, might simply be synthetic perfumes providing a pleasant aroma but no wellness benefits.

The name "essential oil" was coined in the sixteenth century by Para­cel­sus (Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, 1494-1541). He believed these substances contained the absolute quintessence ('quinta essentia') of the plants from which they were extracted, the most active parts of the natural organism. To Paracelsus, the oils ­represented the most concentrated form of the individual character­istics of the plant—its very essence.

Now, five centuries later, essential oils are gaining not only in understanding but in acceptance and utilization in beauty, skin and personal care and household products. They are even showing up in medicinal and medical products.

In our growing understanding of the true nature of essential oils, it is important to "handle with care" because just one drop of a high grade essential oil derived from many pounds of plant material may look tiny but is actually a powerhouse of benefit to your physical vitality. This is important to understand especially since hypermarkets have now actually become the main channels of essential oil distribution in the U.S. (with a share of 34.12% in 2016) and yet they are providing only sparse education about the potentials of these substances!

To further emphasize this growing trend, the organic essential oils market in the U. S. is expected to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 28.16%.

This is attributable to the growing awareness of the health benefits associated with the use of essential oils as active ingredients in [beauty and personal care products]. –Arushi Thakur, Technavio industry expert

Thakur goes on to say,

The rising demand for premium and better-for-you health and wellness products due to growing health consciousness and increase in average per capita household disposable income will further fuel market growth over the next five years.

Studies suggest that the value of the global essential oil market is set to reach a staggering 11.67 billion U.S. dollars by 2022, compared with a current estimated value of roughly 5.5 billion. This computes to an average impressive 10% year-on-year growth.

Ultra International B. V., an essential oil specialist based out of Spijkenisse, Holland, backs this up by saying:

This growth is primarily based on a growing consumer awareness regarding the health benefits associated with natural and organic ingredients in personal care, beverages and household products.

Now that essential oils have gone mainstream in our hypermarketplace, we might develop a tendency to trivialize them or take their use for granted in our holistic lifestyles.

The use of essential oils should not be taken lightly nor should we tacitly believe that essential oils for purchase in the mainstream marketplace are of superior quality.

In contrast, the recent European regulations have tightened the restrictions of types and concentrations of natural essential oils allowed in any topical products.

Since 1979, PHYTO5 chemists have practiced the art of blending natural essential oils to make them both more potent and able to balance our vital energy as a by-product of beauty regimen and spa treatments. Is has been proven (and is proven in PHYTO5 skincare) that a perfect essential oil blend can have some synergistic effects that exceed the sum of the benefits of its constituent parts.

An essential oil is a natural volatile material typically obtained by distillation and having the characteristic fragrance, flavor and/or action of the plant or other source from which it is extracted.

When we utilize an essential oil for our well-being and vitality, we are actually being bombarded by a wide array of chemicals, because chemically, an essential oil is a complex mixture of 30 to 100 or more compounds.

There are three primary ways to derive the benefits of an essential oil:

through topical application

by inhalation, and

by ingestion.

TOPICAL APPLICATION: Essential oils’ benefits can be enjoyed by topical application directly on the skin. Diffusing essential oils in bathwater is another way to apply the oils topically.

To increase aborption effectiveness, gently massage the area first to improve circulation in that area. Applying a drop of essential oil (not already blended into skincare products) on warmed skin will also enhance circulation which in turn enhances absorption.

Taking advantage of proven and appropriate proportions and blends of essential oils in a reputable skincare product such as those manufactured by PHYTO5 ensure the wisest use of enormously potent essential oils. This protection comes from the fact that European made products such as those formulated by PHYTO5 must comply with the new and strict European regulations limiting the type and concentration of natural essential oils in skincare products, as opposed to products containing essential oils made in other countries such as the U.S.

INHALATION: Inhaling essential oils is another way to realize their healing benefits. Inhalation can affect the body through several systems and pathways. It can occur:

by breathing the fragrance of the oil through the nose or mouth, and

aromatherapeutically via diffuser or in a bath.

These two actions activate their energetic properties:

warming the oils slightly, and

tapping the bottle first two or three times.

The olfactory system is comprised of all the physical organs or cells which relate to the sense of smell. When we inhale the fragrance of an essential oil, airborne molecules interact with our olfactory organs and reach the brain almost immediately through a variety of receptor sites.

One of these receptor sites is the limbic system,*–what some refer to as the “emotional brain” or the “smell brain.”

The limbic system is a group of deep brain structures that are involved in the sense of smell and the experience of emotions… The limbic system works in coordination with the pituitary gland** and the hypothalamus*** area of the brain to regulate the hormonal activities of the endocrine system… [it] also influences immunity. Through their action on the limbic system, essential oils can have a positive impact on all of these functions by bringing balance to the body. – Roberta Wilson, Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for Vibrant Health and Beauty

In addition to being transported to the brain, the inhaled essential oil molecules are also transported to the lungs to interact with the respiratory system.

INGESTION: Essential oils can also be internally ingested though EXTREME CAUTION is advised because of their potency.

One or a few tiny drops of essential oil does not look like very much, but if they are premium grade, they are so powerful that to ingest more could actually be detrimental.

If you desire to ingest essential oils, consult an expert in essential oils for your safety. In France, for example, essential oils are actually prescribed and dispensed by trained physicians and pharmacists.

The reasons for such caution concerning ingestion are to be taken seriously:

Some essential oils can be toxic to the liver or kidneys when ingested.

A chemical breakdown of essential oils during digestion can so alter the effects you may not achieve the results desired.

It is important to be aware that just because you may find essential oils in your local department or even grocery store, it does not necessarily follow that the quality is high. In some cases, they might even be synthetic perfume that smell great but have no wellness benefits whatsoever.

You are very wise to incorporate the use of essential oils into your holistic lifestyle. At the same time, we urge you to do your due diligence to learn about every aspect of essential oils to become a very well informed consumer and actually get what is your intention to pay for.

When it comes to essential oils in skincare (which is a profoundly therapeutic way to introduce essential oils into your system), it is wise to rely on the vast knowledge and experience of chemists who are well trained in the appropriate dosages, blends and use of the oils such as you will find abounding in PHYTO5 skincare.

##FOOTNOTES##

*a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain, involving several areas near the edge of the cortex concerned with instinct and mood. It controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, dominance, care of offspring). –The New Oxford American Dictionary

**A pea-sized body attached to the base of the brain, the pituitary is important in controlling growth and development and the functioning of the other endocrine glands. It is the major endocrine gland. –The New Oxford American Dictionary

***a region of the forebrain below the thalamus that coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity. –The New Oxford American Dictionary

Casting a glance at the incredibly rich history of the verbena plant gives us a good idea of its vast potential for healing and well-being. Used to treat everything from headache to congestive heart failure, verbena might be viewed by some as similar to a cure-all pill.

In this article, we are using the terms ‘verbena’ and ‘vervain’ interchangeably.

In the William Faulkner novel, The Unvanquished, Drusilla gives a verbena sprig to her stepson Sartoris as he goes off to fight a duel to avenge his father’s death:

Again I watched her arms angle out and upward as she removed the two verbena sprigs from her hair in two motions faster than the eye could follow, already putting one of them into my lapel and crushing the other in her other hand while she still spoke in that rapid passionate voice not much louder than a whisper: “There. One I give to you to wear tomorrow (it will not fade), the other I cast away, like this—" dropping the crushed bloom at her feet. “I abjure it. I abjure verbena forever more; I have smelled it above the odor of courage; that was all I wanted."

The name verbena comes from the Celtic term “ferfaen:” “fer” meaning “to drive away” and “faen” meaning “a stone” and this because it was found to be a good treatment for treating kidney stones.

It was called Tears of Isis because where her tears fell as she grieved for the murder of Osiris, vervain grew.

Hippocrates himself applied it to wounds and prescribed it for fevers and nervous disorders.

The ancient Egyptians and Chinese believed vervain to have hidden powers. It was the “all-seeing” herb for the magi, the mystic sages of Persia.

Verbena has a long history of use in purification. King Solomon cleansed the temple with verbena, and the Romans placed it on altars in honor of Venus and Diana.

It was one of the Druids’ most revered herbs who utilized vervain in divination, consecration, and ritual cleansing of sacred spaces.

It was carried by priests and heralds and garlands were made of vervain for crowns for heroes and poets. Roman soldiers carried verbena with them into battle for good luck and protection, and the Romans sprinkled their homes and temples with verbena to keep out evil. They also buried it in their gardens to bring them prosperity.

The polymath and herbal healer Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) prescribed a decoction of vervain and vermouth for toxic blood infections and toothache.

In the Middle Ages, vervain came to be used as a treatment for acne and from there it began its evolution into treating other skin problems.

The seventeenth century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper prescribed it as an excellent skin cleanser and dandruff reliever when mixed with vinegar. He used it to treat jaundice, gout, cough, bleeding gums, shortness of breath, fever, kidney stones, congestive heart failure and even the plague.

It’s been called Herb of the Cross because one account purports it grew at the foot of the cross where Jesus was crucified and the flowers were said to be pressed into his wounds to stop the bleeding.

The Aztecs used the mashed roots as a diuretic.

In early 18th century Spain, the Jesuits prescribed the herb as a remedy for headache, jaundice, and a number of other ailments.

During the Revolutionary War, military physicians used vervain for pain relief and to induce vomiting.

Many Native American tribes found all sorts of medical treatment and curative uses for verbena but their principle uses include treating fever, gastrointestinal problems, stagnant circulation, headaches, insomnia and hepatitis.

Many modern day people of Mexico use verbena tea to treat bad colds and flu.

Contemporary herbalists recommend vervain as a tranquilizer, expectorant, menstruation promoter, and treatment for headache, fever, depression, seizures, wounds, dental cavities, and gum disease. – Michael Castleman, The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More than 125 of Nature’s Most Potent Herbal Remedies.

Premium grade verbena essential oil is a unique ingredient found in the formulation of many of PHYTO5’s Earth element line of skincare products. It’s important to note that all essential oils in PHYTO5 skincare, including verbena, are perfectly blended in appropriate and safe, therapeutic proportions.

The following are some of the currently recognized benefits of verbena essential oil. Though some of the benefits referenced in column 1 of this article may be valid today, this article is not meant to suggest that verbena provides all the benefits for which it was used throughout history.

There’s a definite trend toward mainstreamification of spa culture in 2017. It’s not just the rich woman who visits the day spa or spa resort. It’s millennials to a large degree, but it’s also teen- and college-age clients, men, in fact, families, and the average person on the street.

Maybe everyone’s beginning to realize that a day spa can be a place where health, wellness and serenity is encouraged and sometimes taught. Spas have the potential to encourage a more conscious lifestyle for their clients. This actually means that integrity and authenticity oriented spas are vital components to today's culture.

Spas can help keep people healthy and happy especially if the focus of their services is holistic and mindful, and this is exactly what today’s millennials are after. They tend not to be looking for surgeries, pharmaceuticals and clinics. They want natural, plant-based, non-toxic, and genuine self-care. Botox and plastic surgery is not really even in their frame of thinking. (This trend is not restricted to millennials alone either.)

To be honest, millennials tend to go for immediate gratification, too, but in an integrity spa, the gratification they seek will not be an issue. Facilities offering authentic serene environments that bring nature into the spa through their skincare product lines will have no problem serving the discriminating younger client of 2017.

Natural product lines actually have more to offer clients of any age especially if the products contain premium grade natural essential oils such as in PHYTO5 skincare. This is eloquently explained by the following statement by Erich Keller:

“The flower's oils are easily dissolved by the sebaceous fat, and their molecules are so small that they can actually penetrate the skin to reach the lowest level and even affect the deeper tissue and organs." – Erich Keller, Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care: A Guide to the Use of Essential Oils for Beauty and Healing

Spa-goers of today want to achieve real beauty from the inside out and an enhanced sense of well-being. This can only be accomplished by practicing a more natural, conscious lifestyle. Spa facilities can position themselves to not only support this wellness lifestyle but be a go-to source for knowledge of it.

In addition, the natural simultaneous aromatherapeutic benefits offered by the holistic spa of 2017 will definitely provide quick well-being gratification for all ages and both men and women.

There is a current trend which spas are now realizing where slightly more mature clients are beginning to seek ways of aging gracefully. As an example, ultra successful cosmetics manufacturer Cindy Joseph, age 64, who in her younger days was a much sought after makeup artist, now counsels older women on how to wear very little makeup and look and feel beautiful. In fact, Cindy’s approach is not so much the traditional "anti-aging-at-all-cost" approach but a celebration of natural and graceful aging.

Additionally, more than aging issues, more mature women are becoming concerned about hyper-pigmentation more than they are concerned about lines and wrinkles. This is a definite current trend in the spa industry.

If a spa can provide chakra and vital energy balancing, this is an enormous plus this decade as open-minded spa-goers such as millennials and younger are gravitating in droves to yoga and Reiki.*

A principle reason why spa culture is so much more enjoyed today by the mainstream is the physical touch they give their clients in a quiet and serene atmosphere that gives a respite from the stress of modern life. If more people could find a way to visit their local holistic spa somewhat regularly, our population would be happier and healthier overall by virtue of the physical caring touch of their therapists, enhanced by the quiet, relaxing and regenerating atmosphere of the better spas.

Essentially, a spa or skincare practice has the very real potential to offer proactive wellness services resulting in marked enhancement in the lives of their clients. It would include balanced vital energy, and a balanced emotional state. Today’s natural spa directly contributes to the enjoyment of life and well-being emerging from a natural approach to life and that’s everything the discerning spa client of 2017 is seeking).

*a healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the patient's body and restore physical and emotional well-being. –Oxford American Dictionary

Known as a beauty oil, ylang ylang (pronounced “ee-LUNG-ee-LUNG") is the flower of a tree native to Southern India, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. Their flowers are powerfully scented and must be harvested from the trees at dawn or they will become bruised and discolored and rendered useless for fragrance and essential oils.

Romantic and aphrodisiacal, ylang ylang flowers are strewn on the beds of newlywed couples in Malaysia. Ylang ylang, translated as 'flower of flowers,’ is a principle ingredient in such legendary perfumes as Chamade by Guerlain, L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci, Jean Patou's Sublime, Opiumby Yves Saint Laurent and the iconic Chanel No. 5 created by Coco Chanel. Its scent is sweet, spicy, floral and intoxicating.

Ylang ylang’s aroma is distinctly feminine, or yin. When we find ourselves in an excessive masculine (yang) state, we can balance it by using an essential oil such as ylang ylang. This flower is often a component in men’s fragrance because it has been found to be healing and balancing to the male psyche.

Ylang ylang stimulates and supports the emotion of joy, the most prominent emotion of energetic Summer. It assists to relieve depression and its cooling properties are extremely beneficial to skin conditions associated with the Fire element/Summer season (according to traditional Chinese medicine). As outlined below, ylang ylang can provide significant anti-depressant properties.

As always, for all essential oils, do your research on how best to use them whether it’s aromatically, topically or internally. Essential oils are very potent and not all of them can be taken internally. Most that can be ingested must be infused with a carrier oil and then only in very small amounts. Premium essential oils perfectly and precisely mixed in PHYTO5 skin and body care is a safe way to enjoy many of the benefits of a whole array of essential oils.

High grade cypress essential oil is one of the unique ingredients in very many PHYTO5 skin and hair care products. You’re going to want all of them when you learn about the many versatile healing ways of cypress essential oil in this blog post.

Since we’re currently in the energetic season of Summer associated with the Fire element, it’s important to note that Hairlixir Shampoo, Yin Energizing Body Gel and the Fire Element Skin Toner all contain cypress essential oil. A complete list of PHYTO5 products containing cypress essential oil is listed at the end of this article. They’re all live links so click away!

Cypress essential oil is derived from steam distilling the leaves and the cones of this Mediterranean coniferous evergreen tree.

Here’s a rundown on cypress essential oil’s best benefits for you:

Its essential oil has long been a therapeutic healing oil and is a major toxin eliminator.

Cypress is the best essential oil for venous and lymphatic circulation. Fluid circulation is vital to the flushing of toxins from the body so necessary for radiant, youthful skin. Cypress provides a strong toning action for veins.

It increases the body’s sweat and perspiration helping to flush out toxins.

It also contains antioxidant compounds which work to eliminate toxins while inhibiting free radical scavenging.

Cypress actually prevents acne that is due to toxic buildup.

Cypress soothes and relaxes. An anti-spasmodic, it is excellent for muscle strains and sprains and for treating carpal tunnel syndrome. It relieves muscle aches and pains and can be an effective reliever of the pain of rheumatism and osteoarthritis. Many have found it to be effective with calming restless leg syndrome.

Its anti-spasmodic qualities assist with respiratory conditions like asthma and bronchitis.

It’s antibacterial and a much safer alternative to antibiotics. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry relates that the component known as camphene in cypress essential oil inhibited the growth of nine bacteria and all yeasts studied.

Because of its fresh, clean woody scent combined with its antibacterial properties, cypress essential oil makes a great deodorant. It will prevent bacterial growth and body odor.

You can even add ten drops to your laundry and it will leave your clothes bacteria-free and smelling super fresh.

Strongly astringent, cypress is good to use against water retention and cellulite.

It has excellent antiseptic properties which encourage the healing of wounds and the slowing of bleeding.

Cypress essential oil is very uplifting. It’s not just toning to the skin, it’s mentally toning as well. It helps to calm nerves and the ensuing feelings of stress. It helps to lift feelings of weariness and even the more intense feelings of anxiety.

Cypress is also very effective in treating restlessness and insomnia.

To use cypress essential oil as anatural remedy, be sure to research how to use it. Cypress essential oil should not be used alone but rather diluted in an appropriate carrier oil such as sweet almond, jojoba, apricot kernel, coconut or olive oils.

Cypress essential oil is used in the following PHYTO5 skin and hair care products: